Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

Imager by L. E. Modesitt introduces Rhennthyl, a young man trying to answer that question. He knows he doesn’t want to be a wool factor like his father and brother. He seems to do very well for a time as a journeyman portrait painter, until starting to exhibit signs of magic. Then, the studio where Rhenn works explodes…after he ill-wishes his master’s odious son. Not sure what fate awaits him, he crosses the Bridge of Hopes to enroll in the college of Imagers.

In this world created by Modesitt, magic is called imaging — which happens when one of the talented few imagine something and it becomes real. This seems all good when you want to replace a broken vase, but has some less obvious applications such as imaging air into a person’s heart to stop it.

Reading the first half of Imager reminded me of attending college. Rhenn enters into a crash course of science, philosophy, and government, which, in turn, offers a surprisingly thorough way to provide world building. It also leads to fairly slow plotting. But once unknown bad guys begin taking shots at Rhenn on a fairly regular basis, the story progresses more quickly.

Rather than a rip-roaring adventure itself, this first book in a new series works more to set the scene for future installments. Rhenn does solve the mystery of who’s shooting at him and why, but his advancement as a talented imager seems to matter as much as back-alley shenanigans. Imager is a well written, but fairly quiet, introduction to a world and a main character about to experience political upheaval on a large scale and professional upheaval on a personal level. The second book is due to be published in October, and I’ll be waiting to read it. I want to see what Rhenn is capable of now that he’s grown up and has answered the question of what he wants to do with his life.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

I am a sucker for dragons. I’ll read just about anything that has dragons, although I prefer them to be intelligent creatures instead of marauding predators. I was thrilled when Tanya Huff introduced me to cool new dragons in The Enchantment Emporium. These dragons are suave, debonair fellows, except when they get bored — and they tend to have short attention spans.

When Allie Gale inherits her grandmother’s antique and yo-yo shop in Calgary, she moves to Canada because she’s at loose ends. Plus, Allie’s family has certain talents to charm (literally) the world into going their way, and she’s not entirely sure that all is what it seems. She has good intuition because she quickly befriends a homeless leprechaun, discovers her attraction to a reporter who writes about the arcane, and deals with her wild-child cousin Charlie.

When you mix all these elements together with dragon lords who like to fly over the shop, you get a story that runs on non-stop action and surprises. Huff has a talent for entertaining her readers with snarky banter and hysterical situations. There’s one scene in which a bar fight doesn’t go exactly how anyone planned (do you plan bar fights?). And if this weren’t enough, twelve Gale aunties arrive for the final showdown between good and evil…beware the pie.

If you enjoyed The Enchantment Emporium, Huff has also written several series. Keeper’s Chronicles begins with Summon the Keeper, another fun urban fantasy featuring a kick-butt young witch, a particularly vocal cat, and Hell in the basement. Her military sci-fi series Confederation follows the career of Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr as she saves the universe and keeps the recruits in line.

Kristen Blount – Administration

Being on the outs with the Nac Mac Feegle is about as tough as it gets. This doesn’t mean, though, that it’s a lark to have them as friends either. Let me explain. I’m talking about The Wee Free Men, the first book in Terry Pratchett’s "Tiffany Aching" series which, in turn, is a small portion of his much larger Discworld series.

Officially, the Tiffany Aching books are categorized as teen reading. Don’t believe it. The profoundly stuffy may not care for these books, but otherwise, regardless of age, anyone who has a well-developed sense of humor and loves writing that absolutely sparkles will enjoy these titles.

So for starters, who are the Nac Mac Feegle? Well, they’re the Wee Free Men that the book is named after, of course. Also, in case it isn’t obvious, they are six-inch high, red-haired, fairy folk who paint their skin blue. (An ancient Celtic custom — honest!)  When not engaged in drinking and fighting, they like to while away their hours fighting and drinking. They also have a well-developed fondness for larceny. While the Mac Nac Feegle are only the supporting cast in The Wee Free Men, their skills at larceny are such that they have an overwhelming tendency to steal the show. That’s a genuine accomplishment because the heroine of this and the other Tiffany Aching books is no slouch herself.

The Wee Free Men’s story begins when Tiffany Achings’s detested little brother Wentworth is kidnapped by the evil Queen of the Elves. Tiffany, nine years of age, is determined to rescue him. With the assistance of the Nac Mac Feegle (who have their own bones to pick with the Queen), and armed with a cast iron frying pan, a huge amount of common sense, and her budding ability to mix in a bit of witchcraft, Tiffany manages to do exactly what she has planned. She also rescues a dunce of a prince in the process.

If you are young, you’ll love this book. If you’re only young at heart, check it out anyway and claim you are "just borrowing it for my kid." It will definitely be worth your while.

John McHugh – Administration

Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only wizard for hire (no birthday parties, please). Harry’s adventures read like a a cross between Sam Spade detective stories and Harry Potter’s world of hidden wizards. When we first cross paths with Wizard Dresden, he’s living under the threat of immediate death if he misuses his magic. In the ten books from Storm Front to Small Favor, Harry goes from the frying pan into the fire via a variety of sticky situations. Although you could probably start at any point in the first five books, I recommend reading the titles in order.

The series, while providing edge-of-your-seat action, is also seeded with a terrific sense of humor. Harry narrates each story, and he has a big mouth that tends to get him into trouble. One of my favorite scenes (from Dead Beat) occurs when Harry reanimates Sue, the T-Rex from the Field Museum, and rides her to defeat some serious badness. You have to read it to believe it. Harry’s problems multiply with vampires, fairies, fallen angels, demons, and other wizards, all fighting to dominate (or destroy) the world.

Author Jim Butcher does a great job of showing us how Harry grows and accepts new responsibilities. The author equally develops the series’ secondary characters. We meet Chicago PD detective Karrin Murphy, who is short, blonde, cute and kicks butt as she protects the people of the windy city. Harry’s half-brother Thomas becomes a force to be reckoned with, even though he’s a White Court vampire. We come to know and love Michael, a true Knight of the Cross, and his large, rambunctious family. I even look forward to a cameo in each book by Harry’s car, a beat up, multi-colored VW bug, and to the scenes with Bob the Skull, Harry’s repository of magical knowledge and off-color jokes.

In the later books, other characters (good and evil) stick around, which is one of the reasons you might want to start at the beginning of the series. Another reason involves watching a writer hone his craft as his writing improves with each new title.

Storm Front is a fun romp of an urban fantasy, but White Night and Small Favor are gripping suspense novels where you’re not sure if there’s going to be a "happily ever after." I recommend checking out several Dresden books at a time, since they tend to be addictive.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Thirteen Orphans by Jane Lindskold begins a new series by one of today’s leading fantasy authors. Lindskold excels at building magic seamlessly into her worlds and offering standard tropes in a novel (excuse the pun) manner. The story itself is fairly straightforward, but this book shines in the attention paid to details.

While traveling to see family friend Auntie Pearl during summer break, Brenda Morris learns two things — her family has an unusual history AND she’s heir to her dad’s magic. In Thirteen Orphans, the Chinese zodiac and mah-jong combine to form a system of magic. Brenda’s dad embodies the Rat and Auntie Pearl is the Tiger. All of the zodiac animal characters are fully realized, with personality quirks and other traits aligning them with their magical identity. The story follows Brenda as she discovers her heritage and decides to claim it as her own.

The original orphans were the advisors to a child emperor, the 13th orphan sent into exile from an alternative version of China called the Lands of Smoke and Sacrifice. Several generations have passed since then, and not all the current "orphans" are aware of their heritage. When someone begins to hunt the twelve and steals memories of their heritage, the Tiger and several other orphans come together to solve the mystery.

Lindskold definitely did her homework in devising this version of our world. The system of magic that relies on mah-jong tiles, with its suits, hands, dragons, and winds, fascinated me. The novel starts a little slow because the author has so much world-building to accomplish, but it’s hard to put down in the last 100 pages or so. I’m definitely looking forward to a sequel.

Kristen Blount – Administration

I must admit Robin McKinley is one my favorite authors. Most of her books can be found in the YA section and are fantastic retellings of fairy tales and other adventures. Sunshine is a dark departure for her, and a most wonderful one at that. This multi-layered, richly drawn story happens in a world that looks a lot like ours, but with some important differences. For example, people in McKinley’s setting use the Internet to search sites about demons, fairies, and vampires. Sometimes, the supernatural creatures talk back in the chat rooms.

Rae Seddons is the pastry cook at her stepdad’s diner, where she specializes in making cinnamon rolls as big as your head. Charlie, her stepdad, gave her the nickname Sunshine after watching her spend an entire winter sleeping in patches of sunlight. Narrated in her unmistakable first person voice, Sunshine is gregarious with an attitude, but definitely does not suffer fools gladly.

After a grueling, hot day at work, Sunshine decides to relax at her grandmother’s cottage beside a local lake. A nasty group of vampires kidnaps Sunshine and uses her as bait to lure a starving enemy of their own kind. Only this vampire, Constantine, seems to have a moral code and demands Sunshine tell him stories so he knows she is a rational creature. After two days of their mutual captivity, Sunshine and Con combine wits and magic to escape. Following that first, inadvertent meeting, the two main characters share a bond that leads them into strange and dangerous adventures.

One of the things I like best about Sunshine is that McKinley doesn’t sugarcoat the vampires. They are completely alien and inimical to humanity. There’s a quiet war being waged, and it’s clear that humankind does not hold many advantages. Even though Con is allied with Sunshine, he never stops being a creepy vampire. The scene where Sunshine and Con are chained together drips suspense and terror.

Unfortunately, McKinley does not write many sequels. When you get to the end of the books and want "More! Now!", you can join the rest of McKinley’s fans in their frustration. So, allow me to recommend all the rest of her novels, including two of my all-time favorites The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown.

Kristen Blount – Administration

Valen is not your average hero: in fact, he’s a drug addicted sorcerer in hiding from his aristocratic family. He’s also one of the most human and engaging characters I’ve encountered in a long time. Carol Berg’s Flesh and Spiri t  introduces Valen in all his sullen glory, as the bad boy who befriends the unlikeliest people almost against his own will. Berg gives tantalizing hints to Valen’s past and current problems, allowing the reader to put the puzzle together. I found it refreshing not to have an author club me over the head with motivations and overt "clues."

Valen, a scion of one his homeland’s most important families, is both more and less than he seems. At heart, he’s sickeningly afraid of his lot in life… namely his magic, his family, and his future. He’s addicted to a magical drug that, paradoxically, helps him deal with a physical illness. Valen continually fools himself that he’s acting only in his own interests whenever he’s out on a limb helping others. He also holds the key to saving himself and most of his world in a book of maps, gifted to him by his grandfather.

Valen’s world is being torn apart by war and dark magics as three princes fight for their deceased father’s throne. A veteran of one of the armies, Valen finds sanctuary with a group of monks who are dedicated to building a Lighthouse, a repository of all human knowledge and skill, against the coming destruction. He joins the order seeking safety and anonymity, but his past life ambushes him even at the remote monastery. Valen needs to figure out who he is and what he’s supposed to do before his illusory safety collapses completely.

The first book ends in a cliffhanger, so you might want to check out the sequel, Breath and Bone, too. After continuing the twists and turns set up in the first book and introducing several new, important characters, this one offers a surprising and satisfactory conclusion to Valen’s story.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it took me a long time to get past the strange artwork on this one. Tinker by Wen Spencer was recommended to me in a variety of places, so I decided to take a chance on it. I’m so glad I did because this is one terrific story!

Imagine a world in which Pittsburgh resides on Elfhome except for one day a month. In this book, a space travel gate didn’t work quite the way it was designed, sending Pittsburgh to the elven wilderness. So, Steel City is now home to humans stranded from Earth, scientists, elves, and other strange creatures. One of the new, transformed city’s denizens is Tinker, girl genius and salvage yard operator. Tinker works complex mathematics in her head and builds hover bikes from scratch. On the other hand, this newly minted 18-year-old has never had a real date, has little working knowledge of local politics, and refuses to go to college on Earth.

Through a series of coincidences and adventures, Tinker becomes tangled up with the Elven high court… as in, she becomes part of it. Tinker has to figure out her new life at court while solving the twin problems of the space gate and the elves’ hereditary enemies, who are on the war path. The cast of supporting characters includes Tinker’s cousin Oilcan, her mentor Lain, the elvin Viceroy Windwolf, and the warrior Pony. Spencer does a great job of making secondary characters interesting, too.

Tinker is a light-hearted adventure and romance novel, with a sly sense of humor and fun characters. The book starts with a bang — a fight with magically constructed Foo dogs in Tinker’s salvage yard — and gallops through at breakneck pace. Spencer mixes magic and science in new, unexpected ways. Be careful when you start reading this book as it’s been known to eat an afternoon or two. The adventure continues in Wolf Who Rules, as Tinker and her new elven friends struggle to clean up the mess they made in the first book.

Ignore the cover art and check this one out today!

Kristen Blount – Administration